Riley Elizabeth

After a few days of contractions, I decided it was time to evict Baby Shan 2.0. Kevin and I were supposed to be at the hospital at 6:15, however, due to 'traffic', we didn't arrive till closer to 7:00am.

After answering all of the admitting nurses' questions (there was a shift change in the middle of the process), getting an IV and getting hooked up to the fetal monitors, it was time to walk...

At one point, we set off an alarm and had nurses looking for us.

I was starving, and only allowed liquids. I didn't realize Kevin was capturing me devouring the grape ice-pop.

Dr. Joyce came in around noon (after we watched a marathon of How I Met Your Mother) to break my water. I wanted to be a tough girl and do it without the epidural. Stupid move! The contractions came faster and stronger immediately after my water broke. I shouldn't have listened to the nurse, she said it would only take 15 minutes for the doctor to come give me the epidural. Fast forward 45 minutes later, Kevin getting a little shower on his shoes and jeans, the epidural was finally administered, and I was a much happier momma!

Kevin went down to get lunch and I took a 20 minute power nap. When Kevin got back around 3:30, the nurse came in to check my dilation. At that point, she called Dr Joyce 

to make her way over to the hospital.

Dr Joyce asked me to take a practice push while she got ready to deliver Baby Shan. 1/2 a push later she asked me to stop, finished putting her gloves on and called for backup. At 3:51, we had just enough time to discuss that Kevin was  going to cut the chord and announce the gender. 2 pushed and 4 minutes later, Kevin and I were both pleasantly pleased to announce the arrival of Riley Elizabeth.